Stereopticon



4 Sheets-Sheet 1. M. G. CRANE. STEREOPTICON.

(No Model.)

No. 556,531. Patented Mnl?, 1896.

AN DREW HAMMAM. Pilo'wumawAsmNGmN. DL.

(No Model.) n 4 Sheets- Sheet 3. M. G. CRANE.

STBREOPTIGON. No. 556,531. Patented Mar. 17, 1896.

Wig/55555 5 MEM/U1?. I

Vfw Mv@ @2f 4 Sheets-She t 4. M. G. CRANE. e

STEREOPTIOON.

l Patented Mar. v1.7,v 1896,

(No Model.)

www l MM f .w

-normally-wound slide-actuating train.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MOSES G. CRANE, OF NEYVTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO EDMUND HUDSON, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

STEREOPTICON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,531, dated March 1'7, 1896.

Application led May 4, 1895. Serial No. 548,186. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that LMOsEs Gr. CRANE,of Newton, county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Stereopticons, of which the following description, in connectionv with the accompanying drawings, is a specication, like letters and gures on the drawings representing like arts.

In United States Letters Patent No. 5 18,104, granted April 10, 1894, a stereopticon is shown wherein a series of transparent slides are connected together as a chain and advanced intermittingly by suitable actuating mechanism between the light and lens, a-nd the actuating mechanismis constructed and arranged to be let off by an electromagnet, the circuit of which may be operated from a distant point at the will of the operator. A screen is also provided which is adapted to be moved automatically to cover and thereafter uncover the display-opening.

This invention is intended as an improvement upon the apparatus shown and described in said patent, relating particularly to the means or mechanism employed for automatically operating the screen and slides.

In accordance with this invention a screen-- actuating train is constructed and arranged to raise and then lower the screen or to otherwise operate it to cover and then uncover the display-opening, and said screen actuating train is normally wound and adapted to be let off by an electromagnet. lVhen once let off it operates to move the screen over the display-opening and hold it there while the slides are being moved, and just before or as it brings the screen into correct position to cover the display-opening it operates to releaseAa s herein shown, the screen actuating train ceases to operate as soon as it brings the screen into correct position to cover the display-open.- in g and has released the slide-actuating train, being held temporarily in suspension. The slide-actuating train operates to advance the slides, bringing the next slide of the series or chain into position before the display-opening, and such operation takes place while the screen covers, or substantially covers, the display-opening, and while the screen-actuating train is held in suspension and just before the slide-actuating train ceases to operate it sets free the temporarily-suspended screenactuating train and allows it to continue its operation, moving the screen and uncovering the display-opening. The operation being thus completed the screen-actuating train is brought to rest.

A single main driving-spring is herein provided for operating both the screen and slide actuating trains, the force emanating from one end operating one of the trains and the force emanating from the other end operating the other train, and while such construction materially simplifies the mechanism it is obvious that two independent springs might be employed.

Figure 1 shows a front side elevation of the screen and slide actuating mechanism of a stereopticon embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a rear side View of the actuating mechanism shown in Fig. 1, the electromagnet being omitted for clearness; Fig. 3, a view of the actuating mechanism shown in Fig. 2, taken on the dotted line a; fr; Fig. 4, a view of the actuating mechanism shown in Fig. 1, taken on the dotted line g/ y; Fig. 5, a detail of the screen-operating counterbalanced arm; Fig. 0, a detail showing a portion of the releasing mechanism of the screen actuating train whichis operated by the slide-actuating train, and Fig. 7 a view showing the slide-carrier and receptacle for the chain of slides.

The winding-shaft a has mounted loosely upon it a circular barrel or casing a', which contains the main driving-spring, the outer2 end of which is connected with the barrel and the inner end with the winding-shaft.

Upon the barrel or casing a' a toothed wheel or gear a2 is formed or secured, which engages a pinion assecured to a shaft c4 having its bearings in the framework, andatoothed wheel d5 is also secured to said shaft c4, which engages a pinion o6, secured to a shaft a7, to which is secured a toothed Wheel as, which engages a pinion a9 on the escape-shaft d10. This train of mechanism is driven by the force emanating from the outer end of the main driving-spring, and is employed to operate the screen b. The screenb is suspended by a yoke b from the outer end of a bent ICO arm b2, pivoted at h3 and having a suitable counterbalance Zf. l

A crank b5 is secured to the shaft a7, which is connected by a link h6 with the arm b2, so that upon each revolution of said shaft a7 the crank h5 will be revolved and the arm b2 raised and 1o\\\'ered,covering and thereafter uncovering the display-opening c, as represented in Fig. l. A toothed wheel or gear d is also loosely mounted upon a winding-shaft a, and bears upon one side the pawl d', which engages a ratchet-wh eel cl2 secured to the winding-shaft, and by such connections the winding-shaft may be turned to wind the main driving-spring, the ratchet-wheel d2 turning with it and slipping beneath the pawl; but as the winding-shaft is turned in the opposite direction, as by a force emanating from the inner end of the main drivin g-spring, the ratchet-wheel d2 will be turned in the opposite direction, and thereby in turn advancing the toothed wheel. or gear d.

The toothed wheel or gear d engages apinion d3 secured to a shaft (Z4, to which is secured a toothed wheel or gear d, which en gages a pinion d on a shaft (Z7, to which is secured a toothed wheel d8, which engages a pinion d on the escape-shaft (lm. This train of mechanism is thus driven by a force emanating' from the inner end of the main driving-spring, and is employed to advance the slide carrier or drum c, which supports the slides, and which by turning intermittingly advances the slides one by one by or in front of the display-opening.

The slide-carrier e is connected with the shaft (Z4 of the train by a universal joint of usual form, as represented at c', Fig. l.

The toothed wheel a is the main stop-wheel for both trains, having on it a stop-pin 2, which is engaged by a pin 3 on the armaturelever 4 of an electromagnet o, a suitable retractile spring 5 being attached to said armature-lever. The electromagnet o is herein represented as included in an open circuit, which when closed attracts an armature and allows the stop-pin 2 to escape. As the stopwheel as is thus released, the shaft a7 turns, operating to raise the screen l). This movement continues until the pin G, projecting from a hub 7 secured to the shaft a7, strikes the lower end of an arm n, at which time the train will be temporarily suspended and the screen will be in its most elevated position. The arm 'n is then moved by means to be described, releasing the pin G held by it and thereby permitting the stopewheel a8 to continue unt-il its stop pin 2 again strikes the pin on the armature-lever, and during this movement the screen descends. Thus the stop-wheel as makes one complete revolution in raising and thereafter lowering the screen.

It is desirable to move the slides just as soon as the screen has been raised a certain distance to more or less cover the displayopening, and I have therefore arranged the releasing-lever of the slide-actuating train so that it shall be controlled or governed by the screen-actuating train and operated by it after said screen-actuating train has `run a short time.

fm represents the releasing-leverof the slideaetuating train, it projecting upwardly from a shaft m near one end thereof, and an arm m2 projects downwardly from said shaft m near its opposite end, which has a lower beveled or inclined end m3, which lies in the path of movement of a pin 9 projecting from the opposite side of the hub 7 on the shaft a7, so that as said hub is turned the pin 9, striking the lower beveled or inclined end m of the arm m2, moves said arm to rock the shaft m against the stress of the return-spring m, and thereby disengage the stop-wheel d8 of the slide-actuating train. As soon as this releasing-lever m is thus moved,tl1e stop-wheel d8 begins to revolve and the shaft d", to which the slide-carrier eis conneeted,begins to turn.

It will be observed that the pin 9 operates to move the arm m2 just before the pin G strikes the end of the arm `n, so that the slideactuating train is set free by the screen-actuating train, and just before the latter becomes temporarily suspended, and while so held acts to hold the screen in its most elevated position. The slide -actuating train thus set free continues to operate, while the screen-actuating train remains at rest, and as soon as the stop-wheel d8 has completed one revolution its stop-pin d20 is prevented from engaging the latched end of the releasing-lever m by reason of a projection m5, which is formed on the releasing-lever m, at such time striking a projection m6 formed on a hub m7 secured to the shaft d4, said hub being formed with four such projections m and alternate recesses m8, four projections being selected for the reason that the slidecarrier is to be turned one-quarter of a revolution each time to move the slide. At the end of the second revolution of the stop-wheel d8 one of the recesses ms is brought into position before the projection m5, so that the releasing-lever m may be drawn in by its spring m sufficiently to enage the stop-pin d20 and thereby stop the train.

The arm n, against which the pin G has been resting while the slide-actuating train has been operating to turn the slidecarrier, is secured to a shaft n', and to said shaft an upwardly-extended arm n2 is secured, the upper end of which has a beveled or inclined portion and normally rests upon one of a scries of pins n4 projecting from a hub or, secured to a shaft d4, there being, as herein represented, four such pins, and as soon as the pin G strikes the end of the arm 'n said arm is thus held positively as the hub 'ns turns until the next pin, n4, of the series strikes the inclined end of the arm n2 and thereby moves outwardly said arm n2, rocking the shaft n' and moving the arm n to permit the pin G to pass by. The pin n4 thus operates upon the arm n? just before the slide-actuat- IOO IIO

IOO

ing train ceases to operate to thereby release the temporarily-suspended screen-actuating train that it may complete its operation and cause the screen to descend.

I do not desire to limit my invention to all the features herein shown, as it is obvious that many changes may be made which would come within the skill of an ordinary mechanic, and therefore come within the spirit and scope of this invention. A

Referring to Fig. 7, the slides or stereopticon-plates, connected together as a chain, may be contained in a pile in the box or case B, passing up over an idle wheel or drum B', thence over the train actuated or motor driven slide-carrier e, and thence down by the opening c, falling into the receptacle C. The slides enter the receptacle C through the throat or slot 2O and at once strike the beveled-faced block or projection 21, and by means of said projection are caused to fold one upon another as they enter the receptacle.

I claiml. In a stereopticou, a normally Wound screen-actuating train, a let-off therefor, a normally-Wound slide-actuating train, and a let-off therefor, operated by the screen-actuating train, and a second let-off for the screenactuating train operated by the slide-actuating train, whereby the screen may be raised, then the slides operated and inally the screen lowered, substantially as described.

K 2. In a stereopticon, a screen actuating train, and two releasing devices therefor, a slide-actuating train and a releasing device therefor, said releasing devices operating successively to first release the screen-actuating train to raise the screen, then to release the slide-actuating train to operate the slides, and then to again release the screen-actuating train to lower the screen, substantially as described.

3. In a stereopticon, a normally wound screen-actuating train, a let-off therefor, a stopping device for arresting the screen-actuating train when it has moved the screen suf ficiently to cover the display-opening, a normally-wound slide-actuating train, a let-0E therefor operated by the screen-actuating train, and means operated by said slide-actuating train for operating the aforesaid stopping device of the screen-actuating train, that it may be again released and its operation continued, substantially as described.

4. In a stereopticon, the screen b, counterbalanced arm b2 supporting it, pivoted at b3, shaft a7, motor for rotating it, crank h5 secured to said shaft, link b6 connectingsaid crank with said screen-supporting arm, and means for starting the motor, and for stopping it when the shaft a7 has made a single revolution, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MOSES G. CRANE. Witnesses:

BERNICE J. Novas, FLORENCE H. DAvIs. 

